June 30, 2008

Work is progressing on my 4OT quilt (you can now buy the Miss Rosie's pattern of your very own!). The blank spaces in the alternate blocks are where the large star points will fill in, and I will use all the darker reds and blues in the collection. This one is shaping up to be another gorgeous design, and it's going together so quickly, there will be plenty of time to have it quilted and bound to hang in the shop by the time the fabric arrives in September!

I finished the quilting on my Four Seasons Swap quilt, now to sew down the binding, wash and embellish it (I'm thinking some flower-shaped yo-yos). I hope my partner will like it!

June 23, 2008

First, I would like to thank all of you who offered me such lovely words of comfort about my grandmother. I apologize for not thanking each of you individually. It's just too painful right now. I hope you understand how much I appreciate all your kind thoughts, though.

After an incredibly busy 2 weeks, I am finally back at my sewing machine. My new project is using a Moda fabric designed by 3 Sisters called Portobello Market, which won't be in stores until September. I'm using a FQ bundle my quilt shop owner got at Market to make a shop sample.

The pattern is also new - it's called 4OT and is designed by my very talented and creative friend, none other than the heart and soul behind Miss Rosie's Quilt Company - Carrie Nelson. I emailed Carrie asking for her advice about a pattern of hers that would be suited to this line of fabrics and she showed me this one that she designed around the very same fabrics. The pattern will be in stores soon, but I got a special advance copy so I could get started right away, and I'm enjoying the new design very much.

There will be some larger stars that surround these 12" blocks in gorgeous reds and darker blues. And alternate blocks with a smaller 9-patch inside a square on point. Stay tuned to see my progress on this beauty!

June 18, 2008

My Grandma Lois passed away on Friday. She and I always had a special bond and I have been in a complete state of emotional turmoil since I heard the news.

Grandma Lois was my mom's mom and always so much fun. She loved kids of all ages and spoiled all of them. She had a late in life baby that was just one year older than my oldest brother, and I think that kept her young at heart all her life.

We had some fun times together. One of the most memorable experiences - and one we talked about nearly every time we were together - was when she came to visit us in Seattle and took me to see the movie Blazing Saddles. Just Grandma and me. My parents were horrified that she took me - age 12 - to see an R-rated movie, but we had a rip-roaring good time and laughed until we cried.

I will never forget another time she came to visit and we went to see a movie with my mom (she loved to go "to the show"). My mom asked Grandma if she wanted some candy, and Grandma replied "Does a ball bounce?" She always had a sweet tooth (we shared a love of black licorice) and a very funny sense of humor.

Grandma, Mom and I took a trip to Reno when I was in my early 20s and that was such a fun time. We played one particular slot machine in our hotel lobby that consistenly paid out - no big jackpots, but enough to keep us entertained. We were always disappointed if we came downstairs and found out someone was playing our "Watermelon" machine.

Grandma loved to travel, whereas my Grandpa Claude was more of a stay-at-home guy. She would often plan a trip and wait until just as she was leaving to tell him about it.

Mom and I were always chuckling about her penchant for malapropisms - she always came up with some very unintentional funny sayings.

She had the most beautiful porcelain skin and snow white hair.

My daughter's middle name is Lois, after my grandmother. Last summer when we stayed with my mom, Lily was down at great-grandma's one evening and I went to pick her up, but I wasn't allowed to take her, because the "girls" were in the midst of a rousing game of Gin Rummy. I'm glad I got a picture of it.

June 16, 2008

I read this morning about a longarm quilt blogger who is offering a chance to have one of your quilt tops professional quilted by her, just for guessing in her contest. So go to Jackie's blog and check it out!

June 5, 2008

I always LOVE getting a quilt back from the quilter. Seeing that transformation of my creation into a finished, quilted state is always a magical moment for me. I got my blended quilt back yesterday and I'm just delighted with the results.

The pictures, of course, do not do it justice. My quilter outlined each star and did a little loop-de-loop pattern inside each alternate block - most of which were a solid square, but some were 4-patches. In the pieced border, she did a serpentine crosshatch through all the patches - which were mostly small 3-1/2" squares, with some half-square triangles and some 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles in the mix.

The second photo shows the back - almost as pretty as the front with her pretty quilting design! The quilt is really beautiful - I couldn't be happier!

June 2, 2008

Hot Off the Press - I finished my Jelly Ohs quilt last night. I love how faded and vintage this quilt turned out. I had a couple of errors in judgement along the way. For instance, my idea to use the apricot gingham for the sashing was a disaster, it was much too bright for this soft quilt. Often the designer DOES know best and I stuck with her choice of the soft brown gingham. I also made one block where the background fabric was too strong, so it will likely end up pieced into the back of the quilt.

I got word that my Blended Quilt is on its way back from the longarm quilter in Idaho. I am so excited to see it. I'll probably get it on Thursday and will share a picture then.

Next up, I need to decide on a pattern for a shop sample I'm making with the beautiful new Moda Portobello Market FQ bundle my quilt shop owner brought back from Market and gave to ME to use in a sample! I promised to make a Miss Rosie's design and have tentatively decided to make Two Step, but I'd still like to see the new Carrie Nelson designs from Spring Market to see if there is a better choice (Carrie did tell me she designed one of her new patterns using Portobello Market, so using that pattern would be pretty perfect for my shop sample). Stay tuned!